Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
4,629 games: White 56.6% / Draw 3.6% / Black 39.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,9013,901 | ||
| 356356 | ||
| 7979 | ||
| 6464 | ||
| 5757 | ||
| 5454 | ||
| 2929 | ||
| 2828 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.23 White is better
Best play: 5. Bb3 exd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. e5 c5 8. Qd3 Ng4 9. O-O c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation (ECO C41, Open Games) is a variation of the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 Nb6 (4 moves).
In 4,629 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.6%, Black 39.8% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Bb3, in 84% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation
The most played answer, 5. Bb3, also scores best for White: 59.8%, with White winning 58.0% and Black 38.4% of 3,901 games. Of the main answers, 5. Bxf7+ scores lowest: 53.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Bb3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-hanham-variation-sharp-variation